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On the level one lump or two

On the level one lump or two

News
  • 18 - 07 - 2017
  • Seasonal care Turf News
By Anco Turf

Getting a perfectly level or smooth lawn as you see in Bowling and Golf Greens and Tees requires several simple maintenance practices during establishment.

Anco Turf

You won’t get a level surface just by rolling out turf.

The first step in achieving a level lawn from turf is to prepare the soil base correctly. You will need to smooth out the base layer and firm it up evenly prior to laying turf or seeding. Ensure that any depressions no matter how shallow from footprints created in the laying process are smoothed out with a rake or screed prior to placing the turf in position.

 

The turf you receive unless it is old and thatchy may not be perfectly even in its thickness. That’s not a problem. On the other hand thick, thatchy turf is prone to scalping particularly if you plan to cut it short. It will also develop hydrophobic (water repelling) problems when irrigating. For these reasons we do not sell thick, thatchy turf. It is far better to use thin turf and to top-dress lightly if need be when laying.

If you want to apply 5mm of topdressing sand over the area you will need to spread half a cubic metre over 100 square metres of lawn. Several light dressings are better than one thick layer as you will smother the grass if you place too much sand on it. Smooth the sand out after topdressing with a board or Level Lawn tool. The back edge of a steel rake is also useful for this.

Couchgrass, Buffalo and Kikuyu turf can be levelled off in time through regular mowing. As it develops thatch the high spots will be mown off and a natural levelling process occurs. To speed up this process regular light topdressing with sand or sandy loam during the growing season will create a tight and smooth surface with an even colour and level. Couch varieties such as Santa Ana and Nullarbor can be cut short when mown regularly and are used in Bowling and Golf greens. They are hard-wearing and drought tolerant varieties and provide a great recreational activity area in the home garden.

If you are not planning on mowing your couch or Kikuyu lawn under 20mm then it probably won’t be necessary to top-dress at the turfing stage if the base soil is level and firm (not hard) when laying.

If you are planning on cutting your lawn short you will need to mow regularly and top-dress the low spots. For a “How to” Anco video click on this link.

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